-
3 weeks ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
5,000 years ago, a man died in the Alps. The tattoos on his skin may have been his medicine. When scientists discovered the mummified body of Ötzi the Iceman, they didn’t expect his preserved skin to tell a medical story. But 61 tattoos later, that’s exactly what emerged. A Japanese researcher noticed that the marks matched known acupuncture points—particularly those used for joint pain and digestive distress. Later scans confirmed it: Ötzi had arthritis and a parasitic infection.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
RoHa Brewing Project: Unconventional Beers and Hoppy Innovation in Salt Lake City Amidst the bustle of State Street, RoHa Brewing Project brews with fearless creativity—crafting crisp, hoppy IPAs and quirky, boundary-pushing beers. In this laid-back haven, experimentation thrives, and community bonds grow stronger with every pour.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
Celebrating their 30th anniversary, Roosters is one of Utah’s most established craft brewing brands. They have been on a roll since the early nineties, and they just keep rolling. I’m old enough to remember when Ogden was the armpit of the Wasatch Front. The Salt Lake Tribune loved to report on Ogden’s crime and drug problems. This was in the early nineties when Pete and Kim Buttschardt decided to take a gamble on 25th Street.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
Epic Brewing burst onto the craft beer scene back in 2009 when the four largest breweries in Utah were experiencing double-digit growth and craft beer was surging in market share over the massive InBev Corporate, publicly traded brews. Epic’s founders, David Cole and Peter Ericson, along with brewmaster Kevin Crompton, struck paydirt with a simple formula — beers with more than 3.2% ABV that tasted fantastic, offering a massive variety of beers along with standard offerings.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
In a rapidly changing Salt Lake City, Bewilder Brewing embraces craft and tradition. Amidst rising high-rises and the struggles of a shifting neighborhood, this five-year-old brewpub has become a haven for those who appreciate beer at its finest. Here, Cody McKendrick doesn’t chase fleeting trends—he perfects them. His Kölsch, refined over 15 years, is a product of precision, brewed with carefully crafted ingredients to match its German roots.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
Squatters Downtown Pub, aka the Salt Lake Brewing Company, located on 300 South 250 West, is where Jason Stock has been brewing beer for most of the past 25 years. Stock took three years off to start a restaurant with his father, then returned. Utah’s first brewpub and second brewery, Good for What Ales You, made history when it became an instant local favorite in 1986, becoming the most sought after tee-shirt in my junior high.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
Jackie Tress never imagined she’d end up behind a dumpster, strung out on heroin and meth, stealing to survive. She certainly never saw herself waking up in abandoned buildings, shivering through winter nights, or looking over her shoulder, running from the law. But addiction doesn’t negotiate. It takes everything. And for years, it had taken everything from her. “I was completely lost,” Jackie recalls. “I didn’t care who I hurt, who I stole from, or what I had to do.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
Utah’s Craft Beer Scene: Small Market, Big Impact on Brewing Utah’s craft beer scene is an enigma; small in numbers, yet mighty in influence. While locals drink less, the state’s brewers craft world-class beers that rival the best. Behind every pint is a story of passion, innovation, and a fight against the odds.
-
1 month ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
When Bryan Billmeyer arrived at The Other Side Academy, he was told to sit on the infamous bench. Every new arrival did. The bench was a place where truth came out, where the lies that had sustained a person’s addiction and self-destruction were no longer tolerated. Bryan, like so many before him, tried to talk his way through the moment. When asked if he was high, he lied. The staff saw through it immediately, leaving him on the bench until he was ready to be honest with himself.
-
2 months ago | 
utahstories.com | Richard Markosian
Sasquatch has always been a creature of mystery—blurry in photographs, debated in folklore, and elusive in the Wasatch Mountains. At Spirits of the Wasatch Distillery, the legend takes on a different meaning: the unknown, the experimental, and the craft of whiskey-making. Founded by Brent Pounds, a former officer in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the distillery embodies a passion for exploration—both in the natural world and in the realm of fine spirits.
